Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig
Kristen is an ET. However, she works side-by-side with IT's.
What she was actually talking about is the 6 years compared to the 4 years. To me, I agree with Kristen. It's always better to do the 4 year because you will only be a couple month behind the 6 year sailor as far as rate (rank).
I can't find the post now, but we had an IT here at NavyDEP and we talked about not taking the advancement in "A" school so you can be a 4 year sailor. Let me try to find it because he's traveled that path, and he know's the scoop. You can't pass hearing it from something that has already traveled that path.
|
Full disclosure here: I retired a LONG time ago (1997) so I know most things have changed but I'd like to give you my perspective. I had the same dilemma, 4 years or 6 years and I chose the 6 year program to get the Advanced Avionics training. I went to A school and advanced A school and got my E4 advancement upon successful completion of A school. That training was something like 15 months (or more) total. They then sent me to C school. I was eligible for (and took) the E-5 exam while I was in C school. Upon completing C school, I got orders to an Anti-submarine Warfare Operations Center (ASWOC) in the Philippines.
A few months after arriving at my first duty station, the exam results came out and, even though they only advanced 3 people in that cycle (for AX, Antisubmarine Warfare Technician, now merged with AT), I was one of the three selected for advancement, third increment for early promotion. My Chief was torqued off because this "wet behind the ears" sailor had already made E5. He was able to prevent me from tacking my E5 crow on early but I was able to put it on when the official advancement date came.
Long story short, before my 6 year enlistment was up, I'd made E6 and went on to make E7 in 8 years (thanks to Sailor of the Quarter and Sailor of the Year awards. I couldn't have come close to accomplishing that if I'd gone 4 years instead of 6. I didn't love every minute of my career but I really enjoyed most of it.
Between active duty and civil service, I spent 30 years with the Navy and it did me well. Currently, I'm a GS12 IT Specialist with the USDA looking forward to a second and final retirement in a couple of years or so, and the second retirement check from civil service won't be so bad either. ;) Good luck to all of you.
I am primarily on this board to gain knowledge on the current Navy. My son just took his ASVAB test and is asking for advice. He's trying to decide if he should go nuke or some other field. His eyes are glazed by the nuke enlistment bonus but I'm more concerned about him learning something that translates well in the civilian world. I'd recommend IT but that's not his thing. Unfortunately, he doesn't yet know what his thing is yet. Sorry for being so long winded.